Clasp for garters or the like.

Application filed September 14,1903. Serial No. 173,209. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Clarence E. Schaffner,a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county 5 of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps for Garters or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvelo ments in clasps or fasteners, and more especially in that class of these devices which are more particularly designed for employment in connection with garters and other garment-supporting devices; and the object of 15 the invention is to provide a clasp or fastener of a simple and inexpensive nature and of a strong and compact structure which shall be adapted to firmly and securely hold the articles to which it is applied in use and which 20 shall be at the same time capable of ready actuation to either grip or release such articles.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the im25 proved clasp or fastener whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a clasp or fastener em35 bodying my improvements; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal central section taken through the same, the jaws or members of the improved clasp or fastener being shown separated from each other. Fig. 3 is a view 40 similar to Fig. 2, but showing the jaws or members of the device closed together in position for holding a garment or other article. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken through the device in the plane indicated by 45 the line a a in Fig. 3 and showing certain features of construction to be hereinafter referred to.

In the views, 1 and 2 indicate the two clamping jaws or members of the improved clasp or 50 fastener, and these jaws or members are, as herein shown, formed from a single piece or strip of metal of suitable strength and elas ticity, which strip or piece is bent at its central portion to produce a rounded loop or eye 3, wherein is held a wire loop 4, having a bent 55 portion 5, engaged with the loop or eye 3 of said metal strip or piece. The wire loop 4 is adapted for connection in a well-known way with a piece of elastic or other webbing forming part of a garter or other garment-sup- 60 porter. From the central loop or eye 3 thus produced the two jaws or members 1 and 2 of the clasp or fastener are extended one above the other, and at the free end of each jaw or member is produced a rounded en- 65 largement 6, integral with its respective jaw or member. To the inner or adjacent faces of the rounded enlargements 6 6 of the respective jaws or members are secured circular pieces of sheet rubber or similar elastic 70 material (indicated at 7 7 on the drawings) and provided with roughened or serrated surfaces 8 8, adapted when the jaws or members are pressed toward each other by the means to be hereinafter explained to bind friction- 75 ally upon the opposite sides of a garment or other article in connection with which the improved clasp or fastener is used to securely hold the same between the jaws and prevent · such garment or other article from slipping 80 or being pulled from between said jaws or members.

The rubber or other elastic disks or pieces 7 7 may be cemented to the surfaces of the enlargements 6 of the respective jaws or 85 members, and to afford a secure attachment of said elastic disks 7 to said enlargements I provide each enlargement with a hollow rivet or eyelet 9, passed through it centrally and also extended through the center of the 90 corresponding elastic disk 7, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the inner ends of said rivets or eyelets 9 being tightly clenched down upon the serrated surface of the elastic disk, as indicated at 10 in the drawings. These rivets 95 not only securely hold the elastic disks or pads 7 to the jaws or members, but also aid in holding or gripping the garment or other article between the jaws, since the clenched inner portions 10 of the rivets or eyelets af- 100 ford a certain roughness upon the grippingsurfaces of the disks or pads which materially increases the efficiency of the clasp or fastener.

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Since the jaws or members 1 and 2.of the improved clasp or fastener are formed from resilient metal, it is evident that their inherent elasticity will hold them normally spaced 5 apart one from the other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the articles to be gripped between the pads or disks 7 7 may be conveniently introduced between the same, and for pressing the jaws or members toward each io other for gripping and holding the articles between said elastic disks or pads 7 7 1 provide an eccentric lever 15, one end portion of which is bent at an angle to the body portion thereof, as indicated at 14 in the drawings, 15 and has lateral projections 13 13, as seen in Fig. 4, which projections form pintles and are introduced in openings 12, produced in lugs 11 11, bent upward from opposite sides of the jaw or member 2.

The main portion of the lever 15 is extended upward from the jaw or member 2 and is passed through an opening 17, formed in the other jaw or member 1 of the improved clasp or fastener, the projecting end portion 16 of 25 said lever forming a handle, by means of which the lever may be conveniently manipulated to press the jaws or members toward each other into clamping engagement with a garment or the like or to release said jaws 30 or members to permit the garment or other article to be disengaged from them.

When the jaws or members 1 and 2 are separated from each other, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and it is desired to close the 35 jaws or move them toward each other, it is only necessary to press the projecting end portion or handle 16 of the lever 15 rearwardly toward the loop or eye 3, whereupon the inclined surface of the main portion of 40 said lever will be caused to bear against the rear wall of the opening 17 in member 1 and will serve to press said member toward the member 2, so as to move the pads or disks 7 7 • into clamping engagement with an article to 45 be held. This movement of the lever and jaw or member 1 is continued until the main portion of the lever is caused to lie flush upon the outer or upper surface of the jaw or member 1, when it will be understood that the 50 device will be automatically locked, so that the jaws cannot be again separated until the lever has been lifted out of contact with the jaw or member 1.

The elasticity of the material of which the 55 jaws or members 1 and 2 are formed will serve to compensate for different thicknesses of the articles gripped between the pads or disks 7 7, so as to better accommodate the device for use, and in order to prevent the 60 jaws or members 1 and 2 from being pressed toward each other after the pads or disks 7 7 thereon shall have been moved into clamping engagement with an article to be held I provide upon the inner or under surface of the 65 member 1 at opposite sides of the opening 17, through which lever 15 is extended, lugs or projections 18 18, as seen in Figs. 2, 3, and

4, which lugs or projections are adapted when the lever has its main portion flush upon the outer surface of the jaw or member 1 to en- 70 gage the lateral extensions or pintles 13 13 of said lever to prevent further movement of said jaws toward each other. In this way it will be seen that the jaws or members are prevented from being bent by being pressed 75 too forcibly together after the pads or disks are engaged with an article to be held.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved clasp or fastener constructed according to my invention is of an 80 extremely simple and inexpensive nature and is at the same time of a compact, strong, and durable structure, the lever 15 being prevented, owing to its engagement in opening 17 in member or jaw 1, from lateral move- 85 ment such as would weaken its pivotal connection with the jaw or member 2 and being entirely out of the way and flush upon the member or jaw 1 when the device is operated to clasp a garment or other article. It will 90 also be obvious from the above description that the device is susceptible of some modification without material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention in order to adapt it for various uses, and for this 95 reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts of the device herein set forth in carrying out my invention in practice. 100